Tony stayed over in Jess’s cabin that night, both of them happy to have another human being to hold on to. Mike stopped by Tony’s cabin very late to confirm what he already knew. He walked to Theresa’s cabin and woke her up from a sound sleep. She looked up at him confused for a second.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he replied.
“You okay? What time is it?”
“I’m okay. It’s really late or early—I don’t know. Everyone’s asleep I think. Tony wasn’t in his cabin.”
Theresa had to think about that for second. She smiled. “Oh, I see. So Tony’s getting laid, so you figured you’d come bother me?”
Mike smiled. “Well . . .”
Theresa moved over in her bed and patted the spot next to her. “How about you behave yourself, keep all your clothes on, and sleep right here next to me?”
“Deal,” he said, kicking off his shoes. She rolled over and he lay behind her, spooning very tightly. They, like Tony and Jess, were just happy to have another warm human being next to them on a cold, scary night at the bottom of the sea.
*********
Tony heard it first. He sat up in bed and cocked his head, closing his eyes to really concentrate. He didn’t move for almost five minutes as he strained to listen. Jess fidgeted and woke up.
“Everything okay?” she whispered.
“Listen,” he said quietly. And they did.
“Whales again?” she asked.
“Ya think?”
She rolled on her back and, like Tony, she closed her eyes and concentrated. It was barely audible.
“Further away, maybe?”
“I guess.”
She threw a leg over his hips. “We’re both awake anyway,” she said quietly, reaching down between his legs.
“I guess the whale can wait,” he said. “Wonder if it’s a sperm whale,” he added as he slid his hands over her naked body.
**********
Ted woke up to the same noise as Tony. He sat up in his bed and listened for a long time. He decided to get up and investigate. It certainly didn’t sound like the whales from the day before.
Ted walked down the stairs, thinking he was heading to the lab, but realized the sound was coming from the power plant. Ian. Sonofabitch.
Ted broke into a controlled run to the plant. Once inside, he ran to the biofuel room and pulled the door open to find Ian slamming himself up and down the cylinder, making the most god-awful noises. Ted was angry at first, then saw the fish that were in front of Ian and smiled.
He walked over and tapped the glass. Ian crashed against the side of the tube, his fingers sucking up against the glass by Ted’s face. He pressed his nose against the glass, his black eyes clearly looking at Ted’s face. Ian opened his mouth wide, his tongue fully extending beyond his chin, teeth showing grotesquely because his gums had receded greatly. He let out a long, low moan that shook the glass.
“Shut up!” Ted hissed through clenched teeth as he smacked the glass. Ian stopped his moaning and stared at Ted. Ted reached down and pulled out the bloody piece of fish, now fully defrosted and smelling awful. He showed it to Ian, who again began swimming up and down frantically inside the tank.
Ted climbed up the step stool and slowly unscrewed the locking bolts at the top of the tank. He eyed Ian carefully as he opened the lid ever so slightly. “Be good or no food!” snarled Ted. He hopped off the stool and grabbed the fish, Ian eyeing his every step. Ted climbed back up and pushed the lid open a bit more. Ian floated in midwater, eyeing the surface. Ted dropped the fish into the water and slammed the top closed as Ian shot to the surface and grabbed the fish with his hands. Tiny suckers on the pads of his fingers grasped the fish. Like a squid, the inside of the tiny suckers had razor-sharp hooks that Ian used to tear apart the bluefish as he jammed pieces into his mouth. His tongue wrapped around the meat, and for the first time, Ted noticed a mucous cloud come from Ian’s mouth. He watched curiously as the milky white film covered the flesh. Ian was sucking on the fish more than he was chewing it.
Ted nodded as he slowly understood. Ian’s teeth might not last much longer. He didn’t need to chew; he was producing an enzyme in the mucous to help digest his food. It’s why that slime from Jim had burned his skin—digestive enzymes like a stomach acid. Perhaps it contained live bacteria to help break down the food.
Ted’s face went white. If the mucous contained live bacteria, could he be infected? He felt his stomach turn. Ted rolled up his sleeve and pulled off the bandage he had put over the burn. He looked as closely as he could. While it was red and blistered, it hadn’t broken the skin or gotten any worse. He realized he was sweating. He looked up at Ian, who was watching him as he digested the bluefish in his mouth.
Ted felt his anger boiling over. “Are you mocking me? Do you think it’s funny? How about I stop feeding you, you son of a bitch.” He kicked the bucket across the room, Ian’s eyes following the red plastic as it skittered across the floor. Ted double-checked the seal on the top of the tank and left for the lab.